braids

Two of our favorite red-carpet-walkers, Charlize Theron and Cara Delevingne, went out with very different braid hairstyles last night. Theron's was regal and princess-y but with a twist that made it completely unboring. And Delevingne's was relaxed and low-slung in a care-free way. Opposite ends of the spectrum, but they both managed to hit "cool" on the head. Here's Delevingne's look at the premiere of her new movie Paper Towns: She wore a regular braid (created by Mara Roszak) that started very low down her hair, allowing the front pieces to pull free. The effect was boho but not in an overly glam way. And now here's Theron at DirecTV's premiere of Dark Places: Her style was made up of four braids: two French braids on both sides and two regular braids—one pinned above the French braid on the right and one below the plait on the left. Then everything was coiled around the back of her head and pinned in stacked rows. The fussier of the two looks, this one also takes more skill to pull off. So if you're going to try to copy it, keep that in mind when weighing your potential frustration level. read more

Emma Roberts basically became a life-action version of Frozen's Queen Elsa over the weekend while promoting her new show Scream Queens—at Comic-Con, of course. Because if you're going to bring a cartoon character to life via an iconic braid hairstyle, Comic-Con is the place to do it. But somehow this version was completely modern, chic, and completely un-cheesy. Comic Con Couture @emmaroberts #BraidBar #comiccon2015 A photo posted by Nikki Lee (@nikkilee901) on Jul 11, 2015 at 4:32pm PDT Here's what's so great about this: First, before she started the main braid, Nine Zero One Salon's Nikki Lee softly French-braided two locks of hair across the back of Robert's head, shifting the plait so it fell diagonally above one ear. Then just below that, her hair was divided into two sections and knotted before those pieces were joined together into a loose fish-tail braid (see the how-to video for this braiding technique below). All these little touches elevated this style to grade-A status—and made it possibly our favorite take on the Disney-approved style yet. It's exactly what we picture the 2015 Elsa would do with her hair, right before breaking out into a "Let It Go" remix, featuring Wiz Khalifa. read more

The countdown to the Fourth of July weekend is officially here, and we can't think of a better way to amp up your all-American style than with an awesome braid. Whether you're looking forward to a summertime barbecue, a pool party, or a casual brunch, this weekend, we've got you covered with a gorgeous braid idea to take you through any occasion. Check them out below. If you're kicking off summer Friday with rooftop cocktails: Rooftop views are great, but we're not huge fans of the lack of air conditioning mixed in with summer humidity. Keep your neck cool and your hair off your back like Beth Behrs by simply creating a ponytail with a three-strand brand and pinning it up into an easy bun. If your hair's frizzing up during a backyard barbecue: Take a look at Amber Heard's epic braid and try to tell us that a few flyaways weren't the coolest thing ever. All you need to do is spray on a volumizing dry shampoo and haphazardly pin up two fishtail braids into an undo. The best part it that a bit of imperfection and summer frizz adds to its awesomeness. If you're lounging at a pool read more

Janelle Monáe came to the BET Awards wearing a whole mess of braids that came together to form one epic mohawk-like hairstyle we're calling Super Braid of 2015. Marvel at it from all sides then use our modified how-to to get a similar look. To re-create something similar... 1. Separate your hair so that it's in three sections, one at each side of your head and one wide section in the middle. 2. French-braid one side section back behind your ear and pin underneath. Repeat with the other side. 3. Take the front part of the remaining middle section and create a fishtail braid, snaking it around into an oblong bun that sits just off your forehead and pin. (Psst...check out the video below for help in the fishtail department.) 4. French-braid the remaining middle section down the length of your hair. 5. Pull the hair in the main braid loose a bit to make it wider while roughing up the texture slightly. What you'll end up with is a streamlined version of this complicated style that would look similar to this hairstyle we tried recently with a braided bun on top. It may not be quite as fierce as read more

Yesterday was a very, very good day for fierceness in hair. The gods of the red carpets gifted us three hairstyles that are contenders for best of the year so far—all bold and in-your-face in the most delightful way. Amanda Seyfried showed up at the Ted 2 premiere with cornrow braids done by Renato Campora that were gathered very low down at the ends. The effect was so incredible, you might want to take a step back before directly staring at them: Up-and-coming actress Lexi Atkins' gelled-back wet-look hair by Sunnie Brooke also at the Ted 2 premiere gave Seyfried a run for her money (and looked extra amazing with her glossy skin—all somehow without making her look like she'd be hosed down with Vaseline). And Chrissy Teigen showed the world how a big ol' bun was done in Cannes with some side action, courtesy of hairstylist Snowden Hill: The gorgeous Chrissy Teigan #dailymail #Cannes #southoffrance #hair by #Snowdenhillhair #makeup by @lizpugh #thewallgroup #mylife #lovemyjob #beautifulchrissy #Babyblissprouk @sharonbrigden #thewallgroup A photo posted by Snowden Hill (@snowdenhill) on Jun 24, 2015 at 11:29am PDT Want to copy these styles? Check out this cornrow tutorial. Here's how Beyonce gets a wet look. read more

Miley Cyrus' head was like a pile-on of hair trends last night at the 2015 amfAR Inspiration Gala, and we're not mad at it. All the major moments she tied into one look: -Rainbow hair (one lock on either side was red to match her dress). Surprise twist: It wasn't just crimson, it was crimson glitter. —A mohawk. —Braids (which helped to create the mohawk look). —Short hair. Her cut was already short so this was a given. All together it was a smorgasbord of trends, and though the look was loud and wacky and not something most people should ever in their entire lives try, it was eye-catching and bold and all things Miley. No one—or her hair—looked they they were having more fun last night. And in case you were wondering, her date for the evening (seen above) was poet and former contestant on Oxygen's The Glee Project Tyler Ford. read more

Yesterday, armed with this picture of Audrina Patridge's fishtail-braid/mohawk hybrid hairstyle and a whole lot of hairspray, I offered my hair up to try the new Web-cam-based beauty tutorial service HiLove.ly. The idea behind the service is that for $30, users can sign into a Web chat with a beauty pro who'll walk you through a 30-minute DIY process of your choice (3-Step Polished Eye, Makeup Bag Intervention, Lips & Cheeks, Foundation & Contouring, or Hair Updo, for example). Here's what happened. First, before my appointment, I was sent a list of nine suggested products to have on hand before we started, including hairspray, bobby pins, dry shampoo, and a curling iron. Since my artist didn't know what look I was going to ask for, having a bunch of stuff at the ready was key. I gathered up the supplies and signed on. We both entered the chat room pretty easily (it's just a matter of clicking on a link and signing in). Then we had a quick consultation during which I showed her a picture of the hairstyle using a very sophisticated method called "holding my phone up to my laptop Web cam." After asking a few questions about read more

We treat hunting for gorgeous red carpet looks around here like a varsity-level sport, and every Friday we gift to you the fruits of our labor with a roundup of the five most stunning, can't-miss-'em hair, makeup, and nail styles of the week. Pin 'em, bookmark one for your stylist, stare at the whole group for hours—we invite you to luxuriate in their beauty. Look 1: Joan Smalls' smoldering blue eye look at the CFDA Awards. Look 2: Kate Hudson's messy bun and bronze eye makeup at the Glamour U.K. Women of the Year Awards. Look 3: This cool half-painted gold nail idea on celebrity manicurist Steph Stone. Elegant but unboring. halvsies using @marcbeauty A photo posted by @stephstonenails on Jun 2, 2015 at 4:46pm PDT Look 4: Emmy Rossum's crystal-caged bun at the CFDA Awards. It was bling-y and impossibly chic. It's all the in (diamond) details. A photo posted by Emmy Rossum (@emmyrossum) on Jun 1, 2015 at 9:26pm PDT Look 5: Mom star Sadie Calvano's adorable braids at the Critics' Choice Awards. read more

If it isn't feel-good news enough that model Constance Jablonski showed up to chair the the 13th Annual Evening With the Dove honoring the youth empowerment organizations members' achievements over the past year, she also managed to fit in a great summer hairstyle idea at the same time. It's charming, it's fun, and it's not something we've seen a million times before. So we're all over it. Beauty close up before the quick change On a special night #UrbanDove @constancejablonski #makeup @rommynajor #hair #JenniferYepez #constancejablonski #braids #texture #texturedbraids A photo posted by Jennifer Yepez (@jennifer_yepez) on Jun 3, 2015 at 4:38pm PDT Here's how to DIY this look created by hairstylist Jennifer Yepez: Step 1: Part hair slightly to one side. Step 2: On the side with your hair part, create a French braid going back over your ear to the nape of your neck and secure with a hair elastic, leaving the rest of your hair at the bottom hanging free. Step 3: Divide the rest of your hair into two sections and then braid them both in a regular ol' three-strand style to your neck and secure with elastics, again, leaving the second half upbraided and hanging free. read more

True story: This past weekend at the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic, Emma Roberts told us, "I love this crown braid so much I’m going to sleep sitting up so it lasts until Monday,” so we obviously had to find its creator. Luckily we did—Garnier celebrity hairstylist Tommy Buckett—and he gave us the lowdown on it. It looks difficult, right? But it's actually sooo not. "I didn't want the vibe to be grungy dirty surfer girl. I wanted it to feel expensive, like spun gold. Healthy and shiny, not a flyaway mess," says Buckett. The step-by-step: Step 1: Start by applying a dime-size amount of serum (like Garnier Sleek and Shine Flatiron Express, $6.29, walgreens.com) to blow-dried hair. Step 2: Split your hair down the middle into two sections. Step 3: Take a 1" piece and start braiding a regular, three-strand braid. Weave in the remaining pieces while moving down the section. Do this on both sides. Step 4: Take each braid (you should have two) and wrap each one upward across the top of your head, overlapping them. Step 5: Secure with bobby pins: "Probably about 20, which is a lot, but you need to keep it secured," he advises. read more

The world's braid lovers were the real winners at last night's Critics' Awards Awards thanks to these lovely styles we saw on the red carpet. And that's great because there's one time of the year when braids are always the perfect answer for those "Whatever should I do with my hair?" days—and that's right now. You can... French-braid your hair down the middle like Jaime Pressly. Create rings of braids all in a row like Mom star Sadie Calvano. Sneak a few cornrows into the side like Taraji P. Henson. Or go for a halo braid like Entourage star Contance Zimmer. Want more summer braid ideas? Check out this episode of our series Talk Pretty to Me: read more

Actress Zoë Kravitz has left her truly epic waist-length braids behind for a short wavy bob haircut on the set of the next installment of the Divergent series, Allegiant: Part 1. Behold: She's baaaaccckkkk. #Christina #allegiantpt1 A photo posted by Zoë Kravitz (@zoeisabellakravitz) on May 26, 2015 at 1:20pm PDT While this is was a move fueled by a character choice (Christina wouldn't have time or energy for long braids), Kravitz will enjoy a positive side effect: the breeze on her neck this summer. That and joining Jennifer Lopez in the Just Got Short Hair Club. It's gaining members by the second. And speaking of short hair, find out all about the virtues of it in our trend-spotting video series "Talk Pretty to Me": read more

Whether they're tight and sleek or romantic and messy the updos at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival are all about new takes on two classic hair looks: The braided bun and the French twist—all with exaggerated, off-kilter, or just plain extra swirl shapes. Check out the circular motifs in each of these famous ladies' hairstyles. We bet you'll end up with at least one idea for your next fancy event. Helloooo, wedding season. The French twists we're feeling we spotted on... Emma Stone at the Irrational Man premiere with a cinnamon-roll shape at the top: And Rooney Mara at the Carol premiere, who went for a knotted-on-top look: Two braided buns we want to copy we spotted on... Model Poppy Delevingne at the Carol premiere, who went big, bold, and jumbled: And Cate Blanchett who wore an oblong one while doing press for Carol : Press today for the wonderful film #Carol #CateBlanchett #RooneyMara m/up @marygreenwell hair colour and styling @nicolaclarkecolour #Cannes68thFilmFestival #Cannes A photo posted by @nicolaclarkecolour on May 18, 2015 at 2:58am PDT Need a twist idea for short hair? Watch this how-to: read more

Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood" video is a study in fierceness of both the fighting and beauty kind—she called on 15 of her famous friends and then gave them (and herself) the 23 coolest hair and makeup looks her glam team could imagine to make a video that redefined the word epic. Here's a look at every single one. In the beginning, she and Selena Gomez's character seem to be working together, side by side in matching smoky eyes: After Selena turns on her and leaves her for dead on top of a car, Taylor's eyes get even smokier (even when split-screened with Kendrick Lamar): Lena Dunham shows up with a matching smoky eye and a cigar to help put Taylor back together: Next Taylor gets a tune-up from a pink-lipped actress Hailee Steinfeld: More smoky-eye-ness from Taylor: Then Taylor puts together a posse including Empire's Serayah, who comes in with dark lipstick that means business: Model Gigi Hadid shows up with a high ponytail of power: And singer Ellie Goulding also appears with a smoky eye: Next Taylor debuts a braid as she trains with a pigtailed Martha Hunt: More braids come into the picture and the makeup gets very read more

What a month it's been for waist-length braids. First, model Jourdan Dunn wore some to the Met Gala, then yesterday Rita Ora posted a series of shots debuting brand-new ones, while Zoe Kravitz brought hers to the Cannes Film Festival where she's promoting Mad Max: Fury Road. Why we're loving it: The look is a strong, fierce way to give this season's Rapunzel hair trend a literal and figurative twist. Ora's new look: Y A photo posted by Rita Ora (@ritaora) on May 14, 2015 at 6:58pm PDT Goodnight NYC thank you @chrisappleton1 for the gorgeous braids!!! A photo posted by Rita Ora (@ritaora) on May 14, 2015 at 11:47pm PDT Which echoes Kravitz's stunning style: read more

Scandal star Darby Stanchfield rocked a braided hairstyle at the ABC upfronts that was composed of six different braids in three different styles. In other words, it was epic. And we have the exclusive how-to from the hairstylist behind it, Bridget Brager. Braided beauty @darbysofficial makeup @ermahnospina @styledbyjl #braids #bridgetbragerhair #frenchbraid #fishtailbraid #sixbraids #scandal #goldbarbarrett A photo posted by BridgetBrager (@bridgetbragerhair) on May 12, 2015 at 1:29pm PDT Her inspiration: "It stemmed from the neckline of her Rachel Zoe little black dress, which felt a bit military. I knew it had to go up and that something casual wouldn't do. I decided to go for a fun-but-strong textured braided updo." She started by misting Bumble and Bumble Surf Infusion ($29, sephora.com) on wet hair to create some roughness and then blew it dry with a center part. Next, she created a Dutch braid (a French braid that sits on top of the hair rather than sinking into it—check out this how-to for help) on each side of her head starting at the front, braiding down along her natural hairline and ending just behind the ear. Then, she says, "I pulled the braids apart and dusted them with Kevin Murphy Powder read more

There was an "odd couple" theme going on this weekend in Hollywood, with three stars going for hairstyle ideas that paired together two unexpected elements. They were: Lea Michele's updo, created by hairstylist Sarah Potempa, featured two different types of braids—a five-strand braid and a fishtail braid—wrapped around in the back of her head: Day 130 of #365daysofbraids a french #fishtailbraid wrapped around a #5stransbraid on the lovely @msleamichele!! I always love styling her #gorgeoushair!! #frenchbraids #braidedupdo #braidinspo #leamichele #screamqueens @foxtv #hairinspo #hairspiration 💕 A photo posted by Sarah Potempa (@sarahpotempa) on May 10, 2015 at 7:51pm PDT Ashley Greene's bun that had a secret: a French braid up the back of her head (created by Joseph Chase). "Last nights look courtesy of @josephchase @beau_nelson and @sassandbide" A photo posted by Minha Diva: Ashley greene (@mdashleygreene) on May 9, 2015 at 9:12am PDT And The Longest Ride's Britt Robertson, who wore a mohawk made up of buns to the Tomorrowland premiere, courtesy of Christian Wood: #BTS Top Knot x2 for tonight's premier TomorrowLand #BrittRobertson #DisneyLand A photo posted by Christian (@cwoodhair) on May 9, 2015 at 7:20pm PDT The common thread is taking two totally different ideas and meshing them read more

For the mornings when you hit the snooze button one too many times, this hairstyle from the Lilly Sarti runway show from Sao Paulo Fashion Week is going to be your new savior. O desfile MAIS LINDO do mundo com os acessórios MAIS LINDOS do mundo, a gente vê por aqui ❿ￏ #spfw @lillysartistore #mariahroveryparalillysarti A photo posted by MR :: Mariah Rovery (@mrmariahrovery) on Apr 15, 2015 at 8:27am PDT Because this braided bun is sleek and wet, you can actually style this when your hair is wet, saving you all that blow-dry time. But it still looks chic and pulled-together so your coworkers will have no idea you ran out the door like you were going for the gold medal in sprinting. Here's how I do this. I... (1) Work in a gel or styling spray to tame flyaways. I'm a fan of Bumble and Bumble Prep ($22, bumbleandbumble.com) (2) Part my hair down the middle and pull and secure into a low ponytail. (3) Braid the tail and pin it into a bun. (4) Finish by spraying the whole thing with my secret weapon, Living Proof Flex Shaping Hairspray ($24, livingproof.com), which is formulated so it can read more

Mark my words, everyone, I feel a trend coming on. It's only Tuesday and we've already seen two examples of seriously badass braid hairstyles this week—I'm talking braids for girls who might ordinarily think of them as too girly or Heidi-ish (or just played-out). Exhibit A: Kate Bosworth's braidhawk at Coachella Hairstylist Bridget Brager calls this style "a nod to the '90s half-up/half-down, grunge-chic, slept-in hair—with a twist." The trick is to start with second-day (unwashed) hair and make a cornrow braid where your center part would usually be. Exhibit B: Shailene Woodley's accent braid at the MTV Movie Awards We just finished talking about how she uses roasted beets to make her own lip stain. Now let's move on to another reason to love the Insurgent star—the fierce inverted French braid accent she wore to the MTV Movie Awards. What makes this even better is that she proved you can pull off a braid even on short hair. I bet we'll have another major badass-braid moment before the week is out. I'll keep you posted. Which of these badass celebrity braids would you rather wear? Or do you prefer your braids more bohemian, or girly? Share below! read more

Hairstylist Rebekah Forecast says she wanted to add element of surprise to Heidi Klum's hair for an America's Got Talent season 10 red carpet event last week—and how she did it was with a sneaky fishtail braid. Here's how she says you can re-create it: (1) "First smooth out the hair and create a silky texture by blow-drying with a Mason Pearson brush, Bumble and Bumble Prep Primer and Pravana Nevo Hydra Pearl Replenishing Hair Oil. It's important to start with the hair prepped to get the silky smooth texture throughout the style." (2) Directionally blow the hair off the face to incorporate any fine baby hairs in the front hair line. (3) Tie all the hair up in a ponytail just below the crown. "The position of the ponytail means the knot will not be seen from the front while accentuating the natural head shape," she explains. (4) Split the ponytail into three, adding some styling cream to smooth down any flyaways and create shine. (She used Phyto Creme Brilliance Glossing Cream.) (5) "To create a fishtail braid, start with two sections of hair (unlike a traditional braid when you start with three). Take a small amount of hair read more